Shatter the Sky
by Steelshade
Summary: A mediocre bounty hunter takes up an assignment in Ordon, thinking to impress the higher-ups back at the castle. Little do they know they'll be swept up in something much bigger than their lack-of-skill crisis
1. A Meager Assignment

"There's no way..."

"Well, apparently there is."

"Ordon's like... a three day journey on a fresh horse from here, why on earth would a ragtag, vagabond group of bandits travel all the way down there just to rest?"

"I don't know, Tara."

"What, are they planning a mass take-over of the village? The three of them?"

"No. I wouldn't give them that much credit."

"Nor I..." Tara leaned back into her chair with a sigh, flopping her arm over the back as her darkened gaze rested on the floor in thought.

"I still don't see the problem, Tara. You've gone farther for a bounty than Ordon," her employer said, leaning against a door frame and crossing his short arms over his chest.

"It just doesn't add up to me, Feo," she sighed in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, well, the rupees add up, though," Feoryth said simply. "Really, Tara, its not that big a deal."

"Fine fine fine fine," she said, flicking her hand back and forth dismissively, "How much is this lot going for?"

"10 for the two lackies, 25 for the ringleader."

"Yeesh... That's not bad. I guess."

"Mm. Its actually very good for the situation. They wouldn't be worth half as much if they were hiding behind the nearest tree outside Hyrule Castle Town. Most of the pay is for the travel trouble."

Tara nodded in understanding before turning a cerulean eye up to the Head of Criminal Affairs.

"Is this the total ruppees before or after your commission?" There was a slight pause between the two before a toothy grin spread over the man's plump face.

Tara smirked.

"Of course. Sugar-coating it, are we?"

"Its only a 15% commission, I'd hardly call that sugar-coating." Tara wrinkled her nose at the man. Feoryth was a shorter gentleman in his mid fourties. He had a round frame and a tight, diplomatic smile, of which he had acquired from years of working his way up the political ladder. He was dark complected, and sported a salt-and-pepper comb-over to hide his receding hairline.

As Head of Criminal Affairs, appointed by the princess, it was his job to run the prisons and hire bounty hunters for the kingdom. Politician that he was, this man had a good heart.

"Anyway, you've been to Ordon, have you not?" Feo asked.

"I lived there for a year or two of my early teenage years, yes. There is a swordsman there that taught me the basics that started this lovely career," she said, the slightest hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Good. Do you remember the way, or shall I supply you with a map?" The Head of Criminal Affairs offered lightly. Tara shook her head, and told him she was fine. The employer and employee bid farewell, and as she was leaving his office, Tara hesitantly turned back. Something on her mind had been bothering her for quite a while.

"Sir?" she ventured formally. The politician had seated himself behind his desk, and was busying himself with sorting through a mound of parchment.

"Yes, Tara?" he called, not looking up from his work.

"I was wondering... The reason I've been assigned numerous small bounties recently, does it have anything to do with my... skill?" Feoryth paused in his filing. He gave a sigh, then removed his glasses as he looked up at Tara.

"You are still learning. I understand you've passed certain training, Tara. But you are very young. You are yet very unskilled, and there is much still to be learned." He paused briefly to give her a quick, sympathetic smile. "You do have promise," he said with slight reassurance. Tara responded by giving a nod of acknowledgement. "Well. I hope that satisfied your curiosity. Good luck with the bounty," he said as he returned to his papers. Tara gave a short bow, and turned on her heal. Disappointed with the reality she was afraid of, she left the castle slightly disheartened.


	2. Return to Ordon

The brisk morning air hit Tara as she made her way into the middle of Hyrule Castle Town, illuminated by brilliant sunlight. Slightly perturbed from her last conversation with her employer, on the subject of her mediocre skill in the field of bounty hunting, she kept her eyes on the ground directly in front of her as she walked in the direction of the stables. _You are yet very unskilled, and there is much still to be learned..._

She heaved a giant sigh. Feo was right. She was no bounty hunting prodigy. She was Feo's go-to for easy missions when the other, more prestigious BH's were out on other missions. But she was only 17... She had a while to improve. Feoryth was also right about that.

Tara retrieved her horse, paying the stable keep more than half of the rupees left over from her last bounty.

Once in Hyrule Field, Tara patted her big, black horse's neck firmly.

"Hey Willie, baby, you miss me? _Ooooo_ I know ya did, I know ya did," she crooned. The draft horse snorted, and his bridle clinked as he shook his mane of black hair. In her imagination, he was scoffing at her baby talk.

She climbed onto his back, and spurred him south, in the direction of Ordon.

The journey was relaxed, and took them four days of riding across the beautiful hills and plains of Hyrule Field to reach the forests of Faron. She entered into a clearing, where a man with an interesting choice of hairstyle was seated by a cauldron over an unlit fire. She gave a false, toothy smile as she twiddled fingers at the strange forest man, who obsessively tried to give her a lantern.

"Ha ha... _noooo_ thanks..." she hissed through her exaggerated smile as she tried to center his attention on something other than a lanter...

"Sir, I would be very grateful if you could answer a few of my questions..."

"Oh, yes yes yes, but I insist that you take this lantern, Miss Foreigner!" he called, waving the lamp back and forth furiously over his head like a signal.

"I assure you I don't need it, but if you could take a peek at these thugs and tell me if you've seen them, I'd-"

"Its rather foggy and dark in the forest!"

"Yes, but I'm quite confident I'll man-"

"Oh, no, trust me, Miss Foreigner, you're going to need it!" The man had risen from his seat by a cooking fire to strategically scuttle between Tara and the path to Ordon. Tara strained to keep her smile from turning to a snarl, her short temper threatening the possibility of getting information about her targets.

"All I need to know is if you've seen these men!" Tara thrusted the _WANTED_ flyer of the group of thugs in the man's face, as he thrusted the lantern up at Tara on her horse, the ever-present, good-natured smile on his face. _Annoyingly_ good-natured. They continued to banter with each other, Tara in rising fury, the Forest Man in good-natured amusement.

"Ahem..." Both ceased in their ridiculous exchange, turning their heads simultaneously toward the attention-seeking throat-clearer at the other end of the clearing.

A boy stood there, no older than Tara herself, blinking at them from across the clearing. He was clothed in the garb native to Ordon, and had the strong build of a farmer. A twitch of a smile threatened to expose itself on the corner of his mouth as he spoke up.

"Um, hello. If you don't want that lantern, Ma'am, I'll take it," he said politely, evidently trying to hide his amusement.

"Splendid, Guy!" The strange Forest Man clapped his hands together around the lantern as the Ordonian boy approached. Tara hunched low in Willie's saddle, grumbling in mock concentration as she attempted to hide her embarrassment behind the _WANTED_ flyer. She desperately tried to gather up the shattered bits of her composure from behind the piece of parchment.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" The boy's voice floated from beyond her view of the flyer.

"Oh, no. _No_, I'm _fine_," she chuckled nervously, fighting the rising flush of embarrassment at being seen arguing so ridiculously with a stranger.

"Your flyer's upside down," he said pleasantly, knowingly.

"Oh dear!" She guffawed nervously through her teeth, swiping the flyer away from her face. "How silly of meee..." The boy laughed along with her, a warm, golden sound, as he softened the embarrassment for her.

"Well, I need that lantern quickly. I don't have anymore time to waste." His face darkened slightly, as he addressed the Forest Man. The man obliged, giving him the lantern, and encouraging him to buy lantern oil, should he run out. He thanked the man before he motioned toward the entrance of the clearing.

"See you later. I'm afraid a village boy is lost in Faron Woods, and I'm in a hurry to find him." The Forest Man bid him good luck as he gave him the key to the gate, and soon the farm boy was gone. Recovering from previously making a fool of herself, Tara gazed across the clearing toward the dark cave entrance in concern. Was that a wooden sword he tromped off into the tunnel with?

"I apologize, Miss Foreigner, I admit to dramatizing our encounter on purpose... It was all in good fun though," he smiled up at her, scratching the back of his head guiltily. Tara snorted, her pent-up, flustered state fizzling to nothing at his sincerity. "What brings you to Faron Province?" he asked her.

"Well, I'm a bounty hunter... from Hyrule Castle Town." The Forest Man gave a whistle.

"That far, huh?" he chuckled. Tara nodded. He extended his hand up to her. "Let me see that wanted sign," he said. Tara handed the parchment to him, and he examined it thoroughly. He tutted, and returned to her the flyer.

"They came and went, about 2 days ago. Rusl, from Ordon, showed them what's what before they left, though," he chortled. Tara's heart sank, her job becoming much harder.

"You don't say..." she muttered. The Forest Man patted Willie's flank.

"Your horse looks worn. You might want to catch Guy when he comes back around, he's from Ordon," Forest Man suggested amiably. "You could've gone after him if you had a lantern..." His smile was devilishly innocent.


	3. Good 'Ol Ordon Hospitality

Tara dismounted Willie, and prowled near the cave entrance that the farm boy disappeared through. A long wait passed, and the sun was disappearing behind the hills and trees. The soft golden-red light of twilight was falling over the woods as the girl and horse waited for the farm boy's return. Willie was stuffed happily with the grass that previously surrounded them, and Tara was seated against the cave entrance in an ornery slouch. A warm light bobbed against the cavern walls, its source hidden from direct view from around a curve in the cave. Tara stood stiffly, unsheathing her short sword. Just in case.

The farm boy rounded the corner, with a sorry-looking village boy trudging sullenly behind him. Tara shoved her sword back in its sheath as the farm boy approached her.

"Hello again," he greeted, lowering the wick of his lantern until it was off.

"Hey," Tara farm boy looked down at the pathetic slump of a child at his side, who looked gratefully up at him.

"If you hadn't come, Link... Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably!" Tara watched, tacet, as the boy sighed. "She's actually a pretty nice gal, that monkey. She tried to protect me, so we got captured together..." The boy continued to thank the farm boy, and made him promise not to tell his father. He soon scampered away down the path.

"Have you been waiting here since I left?" The farm boy said, turning his blue eyes to Tara.

"Uh, yeah," she replied plainly, "I noticed you were from Ordon... and was wondering if you could tell me where I can stable my horse. And rest a bit." The farm boy smiled pleasantly, and nodded.

"Link!"

From the other direction, a tall blonde man entered onto the path. Tara's eyes lit as she recognized the man as her very first mentor.

"My son told me Talo disappeared into the woods and had not returned... But it looks like you brought him home already. And you, miss... If you assisted him, I am grateful. But I apologize, this should have not fallen on the two of you," Rusl said.

"Oh, no, Rusl... I didn't help..." At hearing his name, the swordsman looked at Tara more closely. She gave a small bow, respectfully.

"Sir, you may not remember me, but I-"

"Tara," he interrupted, holding a hand up to halt her speech. "How could I forget?" he told her warmly. Tara smiled at his recognition as Link addressed him.

"She is travelling, and needs a place to stay, Rusl," Link informed him plainly. Rusl nodded slowly in understanding.

"Of course," he told Tara as he started to lead the way down the path, "Come, you two. Link has a big day tomorrow, we need to get home." Tara tutted for Willie, and led him by the reins after Rusl and the farm boy. "So where are you from? If you don't mind my asking," Link said. Tara chuckled.

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I'm from Hyrule Castle Town... I work for the princess. Well... I work for a guy who works for the princess..." She explained. Link's sandy-colored eyebrows rose in interest.

"Really? In what field?"

"Bounty hunting."

"Ah. Yes, Rusl told me about a few bandits who were hididng out in a cave in Faron Woods. You kinda did her job for her, Rusl," Farm Boy laughed.

"Well, not exactly... Now I have to chase them down," Tara muttered, as Rusl chuckled ahead of them.

"That's part of your job, though, right?" Farm Boy asked.

"Yeah." Tara glowered at the ground as they walked across a long bridge over what seemed to be an unending precipice. Tara eyed it warily.

"So your name's Tara?"

"Yeah," she chuckled nervously, averting her eyes from the deathly heights. "And yours is Link?" He smiled as he answered.

"Yes, indeed. Afraid of heights?" Tara flushed and shook her head rapidly.

"No. _No_, not at all, no no no. I was a damn bird in the last life, no..." she hissed through a toothy grin. Link laughed as they returned to solid ground, and Tara became visibly more sturdy.

"Of course not. Well, your horse will find adequate food and fresh water in this spring, feel free to leave him here. Shall I close the gate?" Tara followed Link into the spring, and removed Willie's bridle.

"He's not much of a wanderer," she told him, watching her giant puppy dog trot happily into the spring to suck up gallons of refreshing water. Link nodded, and motioned for her to follow him out. Soon they arrived in a quaint clearing with a treehouse. Brilliant twilight lit the clearing, warming the trees and earth with its rosy light.

Rusl clapped a hand on Tara's back warmly.

"You are welcome to eat meals with my family and I, Tara, but I'm afraid our house is a little cramped at the moment. Uli needs all the room and comfort I can give her... she is pregnant with our second child," Rusl told Tara. She smiled up at Rusl, congratulating him, and assuring him of her understanding.

"If you don't mind sleeping on the floor, my home is open to your stay," Link offered, motioning to the tree house. Tara thanked him, and Rusl bid them farewell.

Tara followed Link to his tree home, and trailed after him up the ladder. The inside was lofty, with many ladders climbing up to wooden ledges above them. A cheery fire was crackling in the fireplace, heating a stew of sorts. Link went to the pot and stirred it a bit, before scurrying to a ladder that led to a... basement, Tara guessed. She looked around patiently as Link shuffled around, before returning with an extra sleeping mat and a few blankets.

"Here, you should be warm enough by the fire," he told her, spreading the sleeping arrangement out a few feet next to the fireplace.

"Thank you, Link," Tara told him as he stood and went to a small table to fetch a pair of bowls.

The stew was decent, and the two shared jokes and stories and laughs over the meal.

"She's a really nice girl, but I'm pretty sure she only likes me for my horse..." Link said, and they both laughed. "So how is it you don't remember any of Ilia or I, and we don't remember you, if you lived here in Ordon for a few months?"

"I was a shy little thing... I barely left Rusl's house. I was terribly homesick, too. I missed my parents, and never felt like making friends. I vaguely remember Ilia... She was very bold."

"She still is," Link said.

"I would like to meet her again," Tara told Link, as he beckoned for her empty bowl. "Oh no you don't, Mister Nice Guy. I'll take care of these," she made a mock-threatening face at Link, who laughed and handed her the dishes.

"Well, thanks. There's a pail of water, and rags over on that table there. Yes, there. Thank you," he said, standing and stretching. "Well, I'm done for the night. I'm gonna head in."

"Yeah, you need a good rest for the beginning of your journey tomorrow." Link nodded, and squeezed Tara's shoulder as she finished up with the small amount of dishes.

"If you need anything, just holler. Good night."

"Good night," Tara replied, and watched Link ascend the multiple ladders, and disappear over the top ledge. She wandered over to her sleeping mat, and burrowed into it. Sighing, she rolled over and closed her eyes.


	4. Women and Their Horses

The bright morning sunlight lit the pasture as the wind danced across the field of goats. Tara sat in the grass beside Link, who was busy telling her about the uni-horned goats that dotted the pasture around them. Tara chuckled as he launched into a story about how an angry goat unhorsed him a few weeks ago by spooking Epona, "_she's my horse, a real beauty,"_and how angry Ilia was when she found out that Epona could've been in danger of injury. She liked this farm boy. Or ranch boy, rather. He had a strong spirit, an amiable personality. She chided herself inwardly for not making friends when she lived here, those years ago. He would've proven to be a great one.

"Hey! Link!" a man called, running out of the barn doors, and up through the field toward Link and Tara. Link stood, and Tara followed suit, as the man approached.

"So, almost time for you to get goin', huh, Link? So how's bout we finish up early today, bud?" Link nodded, and turned to Tara with a smile.

"Want to watch me herd the goats in?" Interested to see his stories of herding go into play, Tara agreed happily. Link bent to pick a strange plant from the pasture grasses, and blew a light melody with it. Soon, a mare galloped into the pasture at her master's call. Link greeted her, his long ears perked in joy as he stroked her forehead affectionately.

"Tara, this is Epona." She stepped toward the gorgeous beast, and Link motioned for her to pet Epona.

"Hey, girl," she crooned, scratching Epona's warm neck. Link climbed swiftly onto her back, and Tara stepped back as Link's employer did.

"Alright... go!" The man said, and Link spurred Epona into action. Boy and horse thundered around the pasture, whooping and herding the goats into the barn with athletic skill. Tara gazed as she admired Link's work, watched the concentration in his eyes, the superior riding skills. She held her dark hair away from her face as the wind blew, watching Link with joy. In a few minutes, all the goats were safely inside the barn. The other ranch man gave a whoop.

"Hoo, boy, you can herd! That was a minute faster than usual!" he said. Link trotted up to them beaming, his chest heaving with the workout.

"Not too bad! How was that, Tara?" he said, patting Epona as he shook his shaggy, straw-colored hair out of his bright eyes. Tara moved to stroke Epona's neck.

"Marvelous, Link. Absolutely stunning job," she told him, "You too, Epona. What a strong girl..."

"Come on, Bounty Hunter, time to jump the fences," Link said with a grin, extending a strong hand down to Tara.

"Say what?" she said, hesitantly placing her hand in Link's. His warm grip tightened, and he removed his foot from the stirrup.

"It'll be fun, trust me. Now put your foot there... good, now hup!" Link pulled as Tara used the stirrup, and with his help, she plopped into the saddle behind him.

"Two people? You sure?" Tara said, aware of her proximity to the sweaty ranch hand.

"I know my Epona," Link said with affection, before spurring the mare toward the set of jumping fences placed by the ranch manager. Tara gave a shout as she was jerked backward by the momentum, and she hugged the back of the saddle tightly with her knees as she scrambled to cling to the back of Link's shirt. With one last spur, Epona leaped with the grace of her species over the first jump. Link bent low in the saddle to meet it, but Tara was unprepared. Her stomach flipped as they cleared the jump, and she was jostled roughly on the landing.

"Hold on!" Link commanded, and Tara quickly clenched her arms around Link's torso as he spurred Epona for the last jump. Tara laughed joyously as Epona surged over the hurdle, and she buried her face into Link's back to move with him through the jump. The mare thundered down the path after she landed, and the two teens laughed together at the fun. As Link slowed Epona to a trot, he turned his head to the side.

"How was that?" he asked, beaming. Tara snickered.

"That was terrifying. Hell of a good time."

She and Link dismounted Epona, and began chatting about ranching and their small adventure as they entered Ordon Village. Link looked up, and the conversation diminished as a village girl bounded toward them.

"Link!" she cried, slowing to walk with the pair, "Done herding for the day? And is this our visiter?" She smiled warmly at Tara, her soft emerald eyes shining.

"Yeah, this is Tara, from Hyrule Castle Town, resting for a while in her travels. Tara, this is Ilia, Mayor Bo's daughter," Link introduced, and Ilia's eyes slowly widened, her smile equally broadening, as Tara detected a look of recognition.

"You... used to live here, didn't you, Tara? With Rusl and Uli right after Colin was born!" Link looked slightly impressed at her sharp memory, as well as Tara.

"You remember me?" she queried, in disbelief.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "You never talked to any of us, but my father told me about you. Father, Tara's the visitor of our village," Ilia chimed pleasantly toward a large man who joined them from the steps of a nearby home.

"You don't say," he breathed, peering at Tara. "How interesting. The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready," he told Link, placing an arm around his shoulder, "So you should get ready for the trip to Hyrule Castle." Ilia smiled at Tara, leaving the men to their discussion to see to Epona. Tara followed her, and smiled warmly as the two girls stroked the mare.

"Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's real special," Bo continued, "It would be... bad... if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me lad?" Tara looked over at Link, and smiled as she watched him nod in understanding. An odd feeling tugged in her chest as she realized for the first time that he was leaving. She was leaving. They were both leaving. She shunned the feeling, and it was soon gone.

"The path before you is a long one, my sweet horse, but please bear Link safely along it," Ilia crooned affectionately to Epona. "Wait... what's this?"

Tara, Link, and Mayor Bo all turned toward Ilia, who was bent beside Epona's front leg, examining it with concern. "What's happened? She's injured, isn't she?" Link looked guiltily toward her, and she spun around in a fury.

"Link! How could you! You were pushing Epona too hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you!" Link stepped back in alarm, and Tara felt a bit nervous at her accusation.

"Now now, Ilia, there's no need to get so hot with him..." her father interjected, but she cut him off.

"Father!" She cried, rounding on him, "How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" Tara was taken aback by her outburst, as the two men hung their heads. "You poor thing..." she crooned, going back to Epona, "I'll take you to the forest spring right now. Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!" And with that, Ilia began to lead Link's horse away. Link and the Mayor were stricken. Her father protested, saying he needed Epona to deliver the gift to the royal family.

"Link... we pushed her too hard..." Tara said in concern, going to the boy and touching his arm.

"I'm going to be so late..." he muttered, his brow lowered in mild distress. Tara bit her lip, making a quick decision. She squeezed Link's forearm.

"Take Willie, Link. No, don't object. It's the least I can do for all of your kindness and hospitality. I'll be fine finding the bandits on foot. I'll come back to Ordon to get him in three weeks, okay?" Link sighed deeply through his nose, and placed his hand on her elbow in thanks.

"Alright. Thank you Tara. Thank you so much..."

"Of course. Don't mention a thing. It gives me an excuse to come back and see you all again. Alright?" Link nodded.

"Come on," he said, releasing her arm, "Your horse is in that spring.

The two ran all the way to the spring, and with horror, found that they were locked out by Ilia. Bent over and panting, Link and Tara looked at each other in exasperation.

"You need to go," he said, straightening. Tara nodded, and gave Link a quick hug. He squeezed her and bid her farewell as she scampered nervously across the bridge. After watching to make sure she made it over safely, he bounded back down the path.


	5. Peaceful No More

He was sorry to see Tara go, Link admitted to himself as he bounded back toward the village in a hurry. She was a fresh new face and personality, two things uncommon to his rural Ordon life, and he was left happy and floating from the encounter.

Link returned to the his small clearing, to find the tots of the village waiting for him there. Poor Colin was being shunned as always, and blocked from the spring by the humanbarricadeof Beth, Talo, and Malo. A silly arrangement was soon made, resulting in Malo having Link's wooden sword. With Colin in tow, Link made his way back toward the spirit's spring.

"She's barred the gate, and she won't let you in, Link. But I'll talk to her for you. She'll listen to me," Colin said softly, and in gratitude for Link's kindness. "There's a tunnel right over there that you can crawl into the spring through."

"I know. Good luck with her, Colin. She was pretty upset." The small blonde child nodded, and boy and teen parted. Link found the tunnel entrance, and crawled on all fours through it. By the time he stood in the spring, coughing and dusting dirt off of himself, Colin already had explained the situation to Ilia. Link gave a small smile, pleased at his result. Ilia turned, and spotting Link, moved toward Epona. The mare, also sighting her master, snorted and tossed her head. Ilia paused as she glanced at Epona.

"Still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" she spoke, barely above a whisper. Looking towards Epona, she continued. "Don't worry about your horse, Link. Fortunately the injury isn't too serious, you two can go on together. But Link..." she said, closing her eyes, "Can you at least promise me this? No matter what happens on your journey, don't do anything... out of your league. Please. Just come home safely," she finished with a pleasant smile, looking at him squarely. Link returned her smile, and gave a nod.

Before he could reply verbally, a thunderous peal of hooves shook the ground. Eponawhinnied, tossing her head as she looked toward the gate. Link, Ilia, and Colin turned as well, just as an enormous boar crashed through the gate. Beady-eyed creatures in strange clothing were mounting on the thing, with bows and clubs. Right before his eyes, Ilia was shot down as she tried to run, and Link bolted for her. He was struck from behind, and the ground spun as the pain and unconsciousness whirled and grasped him.

Tara kicked herself inwardly. _Your horse? You let him borrow your damn HORSE? It's a hell of a job tracking down a target or THREE on Willie with your meager skill, but now on foot? All because your silly girlish mind was swayed my a charming farm boy. _Tara inwardly kicked herself twice. She marched through Faron Woods, taking the path toward Forest Man's clearing, and also Hyrule Field.

"Good day, Miss Foreigner!"

"Hardly. Goodbye," she said in short, stomping toward the entrance to Hyrule Field. From the corner of her eye, she saw Forest Man chuckle.

Once in the pathway to the field, she drew her sword and hacked malignantly through some tall grasses and was met with a beady-eyed mug of ugly. Gasping in surprise, she halted in her spot as the creature made strange growling noises. She barely had enough time to dodge as an arrow whizzed by her head. Springing into action in a trail of invectives, Tara tucked and rolled as another arrow whirred by. She advanced, thank the goddesses for adrenaline, and did the monster a good one-two with her short sword. Injured and no good with its bow, the creature took to retreat, but was stopped with a killing blow from behind. Seething after wiping the nasty black blood off her sword in the grass, Tara kicked over the monster's body as she continued into Hyrule Field. Odd, she thought as she furrowed her dark brow. What was a bulbin doing this far from the desert? Having never actually been to Gerudo Desert herself, she had never seen a bulbin in person before. But her training had educated her on them.

Perking to the sound of a thundering horse, Tara looked up as she spotted a steed and rider coming toward her. Stepping back nervously, she gripped her sword ground rumbled as the horse did not slow, and Tara quickly threw herself out of its path with a shout. She landed on her side, rolling, and propped herself up in time to see the rider of the wide-eyed beast fall out of the saddle and crumble to a heap in the grass. The horse itself stumbled and collapsed. Eyes wide in alarm, Tara approached cautiously. The brown stallion, worked to death, lay snorting and panting, foaming and sweating in exhaustion. Tara went to its rider. She gave a gasp as she fell to his side.

"Feo!" she cried, her gut clenching painfully as sheknelt beside the bloodied and beaten Head of Criminal Affairs. "Oh Feoryth... what happened to you?" The man wheezed, coughing up blood as Tara helped him right himself so he would not choke. After gaining the ability of speech, he grasped her peasant blouse.

"Tara..." he choked, "The Castle has been overrun, the Princess has fallen to our invaders..." Tara listened in shock. "Hyrule is done, our entire world as we know it is being transformed by these dark invaders... you must listen to me, child..." He fell into a fit of coughing, staining her cream-colored shirt with his blood.

"I'm here, Feo... I'm listening," she ensured him, grasping his arm and shoulder.

"I do not have much time, my child. You must take the blade," he said, reaching a weak hand toward the still horse a few feet away from them. "You must keep yourself safe. Retrieve it, now..." Upon his bidding, Tara crawled to the horse, dead from days of nonstop riding, and tore through its saddlebags to find a peculiar sword. Grasping it tightly, she returned to Feoryth's side. Breathing heavily, he took the sword from her.

"Yes, this is the one... Raaru's Blade..." With shaking hands, he held the sword tightly. "Tara... this blade isinfusedwith sage's light. It will keep you safe from the invaders..." in fear, Tara stared numbly. "The Princess herself gave it to me... to give to my best hunter. I chose you, Tara..." She gasped in fright, shaking her head.

"No, Feo... no I can't! I'm a borderline failure at my job, why did you choose me!" She shrieked, grasping Feoryth tightly. His soft voice soothed her.

"Hush. Hush now, Tara, do not be afraid... And do not question me. I know in my heart you should be chosen to do this and- No, Tara, do not cry. Silence, child, be still. I was not lying when I told you that you have promise. I was not lying when I told you that you can learn. That is just what you shall do, and none of the dark beings will come after you. Do you understand me, Tara?" Holding back her frightened sobs, Tara nodded.

"Keep this blade hidden. Learn to use it, learn to master it. They will not suspect you as a threat. The best hunters have probably already been killed. They themselves are being hunted. I could not destroy our information on them in time. Tara... you must promise me you will not give up in mastering the use of that sword." Tara gulped down her tears, promising Feo that she would obey. Another fit of throat-tearing coughs hit the man, and Tara tried to pull him up.

"We must get you to Ordon, Feoryth, they will help you..." she pleaded.

"No..." he protested, "I'm done, Tara. I have fulfilled my duty to the Princess."

"Feo," Tara whispered, "You are loyal and patriotic to a fault..." Feoryth chuckled grimly, before grimacing and coughing. His shaking form slowly ceased its movement, and Tara's heart clenched painfully as Feo slumped gently against her. His ragged breath ceased, and Tara fought back tears as she laid him down on the grass. The wind tossed her dark brown hair about as she looked up, and once her tears spilled from her blue eyes, they widened at what she saw. Far in the distance, in the direction of the castle, golden swirls of a barrier coated the land, far and wide. Tara's breath caught in her chest as she looked around in horror, seeing the strange, foggy barrier cover Hyrule.


End file.
